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Royal Quest
Royal Quest was professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The show took place on August 31, 2019 at Copper Box Arena in London, England, United Kingdom at the Copper Box Arena. This was the first NJPW show that the promotion had produced independently in the United Kingdom. Wrestlers from Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) – with whom NJPW has a partnership – also appeared at the event. Production Background On January 14, 2019, during Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome, NJPW officially announced the show for August 31, 2019, taking place at the Copper Box Arena. The event was officially named "Royal Quest" on February 14, 2019, also confirmed where three NJPW wrestlers. It was later reported by Wrestling Observer Newsletter journalist Dave Meltzer, that Kazuchika Okada would be one of the wrestlers taking part of the event. On February 22, 2019, NJPW officially announced that Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito would be taking part of the event. The show will mark the first time NJPW presented shows in the United Kingdom independently, as opposed to partnering up with a British promotion. NJPW had previously partnered with Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) since 2015, co-producing shows annually in the United Kingdom as part of the he "New IWGP Conception", a global expansion strategy centered on their international partnerships. NJPW had previously partnered with Revolution Pro Wrestling for the 2015 Uprising event, while also co-producing the Global Wars UK and Strong Style Evolved UK in 2018. Tickets for the show were put on sale on March 14, with pre-sale tickets being sold on March 12, costing from £30 to £120. Through NJPW working relationship with RPW, on July 17, RPW announced they would host a tournament in August, were the winners would receive an oppurtunity for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. The full match card was announced on August 13. On August 13, it was also announced that the event would air live on Fite TV and would later be on demand in NJPW's streaming service NJPW World. Storylines Royal Quest featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches. who defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event|251x251px]] The Royal Quest was main evented by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Minoru Suzuki. On August 12, Okada and Suzuki faced each other in a tag team match, where Okada teamed with his longtime rival Hiroshi Tanahashi and Suzuki with his Suzuki-gun stablemate Zack Sabre Jr., with Suzuki scoring a direct pinfall over Okada. Afterwards, Suzuki reminded Okada that he didn't took part in the 2019 G1 Climax, while Okada took part of it and challenged him to a title match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. In a post-match interview, Suzuki stated that he had planned to challenge Okada before the G1 Climax started. The title match was announced on August 13. who defended the British Heavyweight Championship at the event|251x251px]] As part of a working relationship with Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW), the British Heavyweight Championship was defended at the event with Zack Sabre Jr. making his seventh title defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi. On April 6 at G1 Supercard, Sabre defeated Tanahashi to retain the British Heavyweight Championship. Afterwards, Tanahashi was sidelined with an elbow injury until June 5, because of Sabre. On July 18, Tanahashi and Sabre faced each other for a second time, during the 2019 G1 Climax, which Tanahashi won. On August 11, Tanahashi and Sabre faced each other for a third time in a six-man tag team match, where Sabre teamed with his Suzuki-gun stablemates Lance Archer, Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru, while Tanahashi teamed with Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay and Yoshi-Hashi. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Sabre offered Tanahashi a title match at the Royal Quest. The title match was announced on August 13. In the NEVER Openweight Championship match, Tomohiro Ishii made his first title defense against KENTA. On August 12, KENTA and Ishii teamed with Yoshi-Hashi in a match against Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa). During the match, KENTA turned on his partners and joined the Bullet Club. Afterwards, Ishii vowed revenge against KENTA. The title match was announced on August 13. The event also included another championship match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship against the winners of a tournament held by Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW), as part of a working relationship between the two promotions. On August 30, Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) defeated reigining Undisputed British Tag Team Champions Josh Bodom and Sha Samuels in a tournament final to earn the oppurtunity to face the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Event Preliminary matches The pay-per-view opened with the full match card of the event and the promo of the some matches, including the IWGP Tag Team, NEVER Openweight, British Heavyweight and IWGP Heavyweight Championships, which was followed by Kevin Kelly and Gino Gambino on commentary. In the first official match for the show, Roppongi 3K (Yoh, Sho and Rocky Romero) faced Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino and Ren Narita. In the end, Sho would hit the Power Breaker on Narita to win the match for his team. Next it was, a Tag Team match between Kota Ibushi and Juice Robinson facing Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi and Hikuleo). In the end, Ibushi hit a standing Meteora followed by the Kamigoye for the win. Following that it was a Six-man Tag Team match between Birds of Prey (Robbie Eagles and Will Ospreay) and Bullet Club (El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori). In the end, Ospreay and Eagles hit Phantasmo with a Neckbreaker/Superkick combination followed by the OsCutter by Ospreay, they would hit Ishimori with an Enziguri followed by the Red Wing for the win. After the match, Birds of Prey held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and challenged Phantasmo and Ishimori to a rematch for the titles. Next it was, a Tag Team match between Los Ingobernables de Japón (Tetsuya Naito and SANADA) against Bullet Club (Jay White and Chase Owens). In the end, Owens went for the Package Piledriver but SANADA overpowered it, Owens went for a Clothesline but SANADA would counter into the Skull End for the win. After the match, White would attack both Naito and SANADA, whilst mocking Naito but Naito would overpower White and do his Tranquilo marquee taunt. , who defeated Zack Sabre Jr. to win the British Heavyweight Championship]]The following match was contested for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, in which Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) defended their titles against the winners of the Road to Royal Quest tournament Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis). In the end, Loa hit Davis with the Apeshit followed by a Singer Splash from Tonga, they would hit Fletcher with the Super Powerbomb to win the match and retain the titles. The following match was contested for the NEVER Openweight Championship, in which Tomohiro Ishii defended his title against KENTA. Before the match, it was shown a promo about the title match. Near the end, the Guerillas of Destiny interfered in the match but Ishii overpowered them, Ishii would hit the Veritcal Drop Brainbuster but Tonga would pull the referee, they would attack Ishii and hit them with the Magic Killer and pulled KENTA for the pin for another nearfall. In the end KENTA hit Ishii with the Go 2 Sleep to win the match. The semi-main event was contested for the British Heavyweight Championship, in which Zack Sabre Jr. defended his title against Hiroshi Tanahashi. fore the match, it was shown a promo about the title match. In the end, after back and forth strikes, Sabre would go for a Backslide but Tanahashi countered it with the Sling Blade followed by a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall, Tanahashi would hit Sabre with the High Fly Flow to win the title. Main event In the main event, Kazuchika Okada defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Minoru Suzuki. Before the match started it was showed a promo of the title match. Near the end, Okada went for the Rainmaker but Suzuki would counter it, Suzuki went for the Gotch-style Piledriver but Okada countered it, Okada would go for a Spinning Tombestone Piledriver followed by the Rainmaker to retain the title. After the match, Okada would call out SANADA and challenged Okada to a match for his title, which he accepted and Okada would close out the show with his catchphrase. Reception Case Lowe in his review of the event for Voices of Wrestling said that the show was "proof that a fantastic crowd can elevate in-ring work to a different level. The aggressive expansion of NJPW reaching British shores was gladly received by fans from all over the country ... The booking was obvious, the outcomes were almost universally certain, but star power speaks for itself." Dave Meltzer in his review of the event for Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated NJPW "ran its biggest show in the U.K. in its history" and it was also notable that "they had a lottery for tickets ... a hardcore base that came to see a big show ... Unlike in the U.S., there is no New Japan on television, which makes this crowd number even more impressive and ... it’s as good as any non-television promotion has done in the market." Sean Radican in his review of the event for Pro Wrestling Torch stated that this "was one of the better shows" he had seen this year. ... and "the last four matches were amazing." Larry Csonka in his review of the event for 411Mania praised the British Heavyweight Championship saying that they had "another great match. Tanahashi tried to play Sabre’s game, overcame and this was just filled with smooth and effortless work through out with the Tanahashi win getting over huge." He also praised the main event saying that they had a "absolutely excellent main event as these two continue to show some unreal chemistry ... It was a great and physical war of a match, While there was about zero chance of a Suzuki title win, he always felt like a threat and that there was a small chance that the king could pull it out." Aftermath In the NEVER Openweight Championship match, KENTA appeared to have suffered a concussion during the match. He was later checked in a hospital and it was revealed that he didn't had a concussion, despite showing multiple symptoms during the match. Also during the streaming of the show on FITE TV, it was noted various technical issues with the feeding kept going out and sometimes announcers weren't audible. Due to discontent with the issues of the live stream, FITE TV allowed free replays but didn't offered refunds. Most of the issues were fixed a few days later on NJPW World, until the third match, when all issues were fixed. Following the event, on September 15 at Destruction in Beppu, Hiroshi Tanahashi lost the British Heavyweight Championship back to Zack Sabre Jr. Meanwhile, in the following day at Destruction in Kagoshima, El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Robbie Eagles and Will Ospreay. Afterwards, Phantasmo challenged Ospreay to a match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling on October 14, in which Ospreay defeated Phantasmo to retain the title. Results Road To Royal Quest Tag Team Tournament bracket See also *Strong Style Evolved UK *Global Wars UK *War of the Worlds UK External links *Official sub-site References Category:Events Category:NJPW Events Category:NJPW show in UK Category:NJPW Shows overseas